Writing Quality Subject Lines

One of the most important elements in your email message is the subject line. You get 35-40 characters and a few seconds to stand out to your recipient and make them interested enough to open and click. Taking the time to craft a good subject line is time well spent and doing so can improve your results.

Subject lines are crucial because the subject line determines whether the recipient will open your message, delete it, or mark it as spam. First impressions are everything, and your email subject line is the first communication between you and your recipient. It can help you to stand out in crowd. The subject lines should create an interest or invoke a need or want. A well crafted subject line can also help you to avoid spam filters.

Preparing a proper subject line takes a few different elements.

-Your line needs to be relevant to the content, as the main goal of the subject line is to suggest the purpose of the message.

-You also need to be creative with your wording. You only have 35-40 characters, that means every letter, space and punctuation mark is counted, so make every character worth it and be inventive and original.

-You need to be specific. A subject line like “ January Newsletter” is too generic and won’t appeal to the reader. You want to attract attention. Try writing the line as if you were writing to a friend or replying to an inquiry by the customer. Using numbers has been shown to help, like “Top 5” or “Save 20%” but beware of using spam trap phrases and punctuation.

-You can avoid setting off spam filter triggers by avoiding using certain words or phrases. Some common trigger words and phrases are “free” or “guaranteed” or “deep discounts”. Never use ALL CAPS or lots of $$$$ or !!!!!, as that can set off filters.

Different subject lines work for different types of content and business. Try testing out different lines and see what works best for you. Subject lines are a fundamental part of your email program success rates. The subject line can be make or break for your email marketing program. Taking the time to make some minor adjustments can really improve your click and open stats.